Stalk-breaker.



No. 807,369. PA'TBNTED DEC. 12, 1905.

s A COWART STALK BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lfi/hmsas w? x Ja /VA PATENTED M012, 1905.

s. A.. GOWART.

STALK BREAKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.15,1905.

2 I u m S V m w x h w Q\ a a z am 0 i L MN UNITED srnrns PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN A. COWART, OF MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS.

STALK-BREAKEH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed August 15, 1905. Serial No. 274,245.

1'0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEP EN A. CoWAR'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Midlothian, Texas, have invented a new and Improved Stalk-Breaker, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stalk-breakers, and more particularly to revolving reels for breaking cotton-stalks and the means for controlling the reel-operating mechanism; and the object isto provide a stalk-breaker which will be light and efficient and which. will be easily adjusted and which is provided with means by which the operator will have complete control of the reels, whereby the operator can elevate or depress the reels at will without -Fig. 4 is a cross-section along the line 00 m of .Fig. 1'. sprocket-wheel which drives the reel-shaft.

Fig. 5 is a side'elevation of the Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a hub of the reels. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a planview illustrating a variation in the driving-gear for the reel-shaft.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate the same parts throughout the several views.

This breaker is provided with supporting and driving wheels 1 and 2, an axle 3, carried by wheels 1 and 2, a tongue 4, and hounds 5, connecting the tongue 4 with the axle 3. A rocking reel-frame consisting of four bars of angle-iron is mounted on the axle 3. The

- two bars 6 support the ends of the reel-shaft 7 and are bent inward forward of the axle 3. The two bars 8 extend forward and backward and support the central part of the reel-shaft 7, and the bars 6 meet the bars 8 in front and are riveted or bolted thereto. The bars 6 and 8 are mounted on the axle 3 by means of bearings 9, as shown in Fig. 3, the bearings consisting of two parts engaging the axle 3,

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner and the bars 6 and 8 being bolted on top ofed above the reel-frame, the reels may-"belarger than when the reels are below the-reelframe. The reels may be of ordinary.con struction. The reel-hubs, as shownin Figs. 6 and 7, have a circular portionall, with recesses therein to receive the: side bars 12 of the reel, and have sleeves orhubs 13,. which may be secured to the shaft 7 in any suitable manner.

Means are provided for driving the reels from the axle 3. A sprocketwheel 14 is mounted on the axle3, with. a key 15 formed on or attached to theaxle 3 and with a slot in the hub of the wheel to engage the key 15. A lever 16 is pivoted on one of the bars 8 and connected with the hub of the sprocket-wheel 14 for causing the hub of the sprocket-wheel to engage the key 15. 'A sprocket-wheel 17 is mounted on the reel-shaft 7, as shown in Fig. 5, with a ratchet 18 and spring-pressed dog 19 for locking the wheel to the shaft for driving purposes. The object of this construction is that the reels may continue to revolve after the wheels 1 and 2 have stopped moving. The spring-pressed dog 19 will permit the reels to revolve until the acquired momentum is lost. When it is desired to move the device from place to place when not in use, the Wheel 14 may be released from the axle 3 by disengaging the hub of the wheel 14 from the key 15. This is done so that the reels may not revolve. The reel-frame pieces 6 and 8 may be strengthened by braces 20, which are bolted to the bearings and to the frame-pieces, as shown in Fig. 3.

Means are provided for lowering or elevating the reels. There may be any suitable number of reels. The forward parts of the angle bars 8 are connected to a lever 21. Brackets 22 are bolted to the bars 8. A yoke consisting of two bars 23 is pivotally connected to the brackets 22, and the lever 21 is pivotally engaged between the upper ends of the bars 23, as shown in Fig. 4. The lever 21 is curved and fulcrumed on the tongue 4 in suitable brackets 24. A sector 25 is mounted on the tongue 4 and provided with notches or teeth on the outer part. The lever 21 is provided with a spring-pressed dog 26 of usual construction for engaging the teeth of sector 25. The lever may be disengaged from the sector by pressing on the finger-lever 27 to lower or elevate the reels. The front end of the rocking frame may be depressed by the lever 21 until the top of the yoke 23 comes down to the tongue 4:. Thus the rocking of reel-frame .on the axle 3 is under the immediate control of operator. A seat 28 may be mounted on the frame-bars 8 by suitable legs 29, bolted to the seat and to the bars 8. The wheels 1 and 2 are also provided with ratchets and dogs, such as are shown in Fig. 5, so that in making turns the wheel on the short turn will not have to turn the same number of revolutions as the wheel on the opposite side. When both wheels have to turn the same number of times, one wheel has to slide in part. With suitable ratchets and dogs this may be remedied.

Instead of the sprocket-gearing heretofore described beveled cog-gearing may be used, as shown in Fig. 8.

Means are provided for throwing the weight near the ends of the axle 3. This consists of a metal bar bent to form an arch. This arch 30 is bolted to the insides of the bars 6 and is then curved upward and may serve as means for preventing stalks from being thrown forward.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Astalk-breaker comprisingasupportingaxle and wheels therefor, bounds for attachi-ng said tongue to said axle, a rocking frame consisting of four angle-bars extending backward and the two outer bars bent forward of said axle and bolted to the two inner anglebars, bearings engaging 'said axle and bolted to said angle-bars and supporting said rocking frame high enough above said axle to permit rocking of said frame without coming in contact with the tongue-attaching devices of the stalk-breaker, a reel-shaft mounted on the outer ends of said angle-bars, bearings in two parts engaging said reel-shaft and bolted to said angle-bars, reels mounted on saidshaft, asprocket-wheel mounted on said shaft, a driving sprocket-wheel mounted on said axle, a sprocket chain mounted on said sprocketwheels, means for throwing said driving sprocket-wheel into and out of operative relation with said axle, and means for rocking said frame on said axle.

2. A stalk-breaker comprising a supportingaxle and wheels and a tongue therefor, hounds for attaching said tongue to said, axle, a rocking frame consisting of four angle-bars mounted on said axle, bearings engaging said axle and bolted to and supporting said angle-bars high enough above said axle to permit the rocking of said frame withoutcoming in contact with said bounds, the two outer anglebars being bent forward of said axle and attached to the two inner angle-bars, a reelshaft mounted on the rear endsof saidanglebars, reels on said shaft, sprocket wheels mounted on the central parts of said reel-shaft and of said axle, means for throwing the drivingsprocket-wheel into and out of operative relation of said axle, means permitting said reels to revolve by accumulated momentum after said wheels stop turning, and means for rocking said rocking frame.

3. A stalk-breakercomprising a supportingaxle and wheels and a tongue therefor, bounds for attaching said tongue to said axle, a rocking frame mounted on said axle andcarrying a reel-shaft, reels on said reel-shaft, said frame consisting of four angle-bars, bearings engaging said axle and supporting said rocking frame high enough above said axle to permit the rocking of said frame without coming in contact with said hounds, sprocket-gearing operated on the central parts of said axle and said shaft, and means for rocking said frame consisting of brackets attached to the two inner angle-bars, a yoke pivotally connected to said brackets, a lever pivotally connected to said yoke and vfulcrumed on said tongue, and means adapting said lever to hold said rocking frame at any elevation desirable.

' In testimony whereof I set my hand, in the presence of two witnesses, this 25th day of July, 1905.

STEPHEN A. COWART.

Witnesses: E. LAWSON,

R. J. LAWSON. 7 

